Small Church Research Articles

VERSATIL TOOLS: DIGITAL SURVEY AND VIRTUAL REALITY FOR DOCUMENTATION, ANALYSIS AND FRUITION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SEISMIC AREAS

Abstract. The paper deals with an interdisciplinary research activity aiming at developing a digital and integrated tool able to collect several data concerning the cultural heritage, and to manage and communicate them to a wide community. The small church of San Menna, located in the hamlet with same name in the municipality of Lucoli not so far from L’Aquila city, was the object of the research. The church has been chosen for its historical significance, its architectural peculiarity and for the valuable artworks that it preserves. Based on a photogrammetric model of the church, also used for the remote analysis of cultural asset (planimetric and evolutionary hypotheses, three-dimensional stratigraphic analysis, etc.) a virtual word usable in Virtual Reality (VR) has been developed. The VR setting allows the accessibility of a digital semantic model with information that can be activated with special interactive hotspots (images, texts and audio), which are able to provide an immersive and all-encompassing experience to the tourist. The potentialities of the same tool in the context of diagnosis and conservation process related to cultural heritage in seismic areas, such as those of the Abruzzi Apennines, have also been investigated through the integration of forms concerning the significant features of the artistic assets surveyed in the construction.

Celio Secondo Curione as a reformed pedagogue

ABSTRACT The article examines the pedagogical views of Celio Seconde Curione, a humanist and a Protestant theologian, from the perspective of the Christian pedagocics of the confessional era. Curione was a professional teacher who presented his ideas about education in several works, mainly Schola, sive de perfecto Grammatico, and two versions of the catechism Instruction in the Christian faith. The authors assert the principle dualism of Curione’s views, who subordinated the methods of humanistic pedagogy to the Christian ministry. Many of his ideas are typical of Italian humanism, including attention to language training and general respect for the personality of the pupil. At the same time, Curione aims at the upbringing of a true Christian, a member of the society renewed during the Reformation. Having analysed the works by Curione, the authors show how he consistently developed the idea of labour pedagogy, considering labour the only virtual possibility of correcting the sinful nature of a man. Another important aspect is the humanist’s attention to family pedagogy. In the spirit of Protestant individualism, Curione saw the significance of a family as a small Church, with upbringing of children being the most important parental task.

Fresh Expressions of Church and the Mixed Economy

AbstractThe term “fresh expressions of church” has been used since 2004 in the Church of England to refer to small contextual churches that start alongside but aim to be different to parish churches. What is characteristic of a fresh expression of church is not its newness, but its ability to pass on and contextualize inherited theology, ecclesiology, tradition, and spiritual experience. The ecclesiology of fresh expressions of church can be summarized as a dialogical‐relational ecclesiology that is focused on a theological centre.There may be around 2,100 of them in the Church of England, both urban and rural. During the past 15 years, the self‐understanding of the Church of England, a traditional state church with its parish structure, has changed. The mother church of the Anglican World Communion claims since 2008 to be a mixed‐economy church: one that supports and recognizes innovative ecclesial spaces (fresh expressions of church) as church, as well as parish churches. It is the goal to have an innovative diversity of churches in a pluralistic society. At the same time, these churches should be recognizable and contextual. It is the concept of the mixed economy that manages a fair cooperation between parochial and fresh expressions of church. In the meantime, the concept of mixed economy is received not only in the UK, but in different national and free churches in continental Europe, the US, South Africa, Canada, and Australia. Lately, the concept has been taken up by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE).

Moving altarpieces: tracing the provenance of Netherlandish carved altarpieces in Sweden

Modern-day Sweden houses 38 Netherlandish carved altarpieces, about ten retable fragments, and two poupées de Malines. Some Netherlandish carved altarpieces in Sweden are still preserved in their original location. The majority of these altarpieces, however, are no longer stored in their authentic environment, as many of them have moved from one location to another over the past centuries. Therefore, the aim of this article is to trace back as far as possible the provenance of Netherlandish carved altarpieces in Sweden. A first source that regularly reveals a retable’s provenance consists of archival documents. Secondly, antiquarians’ travel notes often either confirm an altarpiece has remained at its current location for several centuries, or unveil the artwork’s previous whereabouts. More frequently, however, no archival documents or antiquarians’ notes exist. In that case, the presence of these stunning works of art often awakened people’s fascination for their provenance and made them wonder how such high-quality Netherlandish altarpieces ended up in small Swedish churches. This fascination has given rise to multiple unfounded legends, asserting the altarpieces were incidental results of shipwrecks, carriage breakdowns or spoils of war, primarily from the Thirty Years’ War. In the course of the last five centuries, retables were taken out of their original context not only by moving from one church to another, but also because, from the nineteenth century onwards, they were included in museum collections. The present research thus reflects on the fact that most Netherlandish carved altarpieces in Sweden are decontextualised in their present-day environment.

Eksplorasi Metode Penginjilan Gereja Bala Keselamatan Sebagai Model Untuk Menjangkau Suku Kaili Da’a Di Palu Sulawesi Tengah

The Kaili are a native of Palu - Central Sulawesi and are one of the target groups for sharing the gospel. According to observations and empirical data in the field, the Kaili tribe consists of three groups with a variety of cultures. The three groups are often referred to as the Da'a, the Ledo and the Tara. In terms of religion and belief, there are very striking differences. The Kaili Da'a are almost entirely Christian. The Kaili Ledo people, only a small proportion are Christians, some are Muslim and ethnic beliefs. The people of Kaili Tara are almost entirely Muslim, in fact almost none are Christians.
 The existence of the majority Christian Kaili Da'a is the success of the Salvation Army church in carrying out their mission to preach the Gospel. There are a number of principles, methods and approaches that have been carried out by the Salvation Army in this regard. This makes the Salvation Army the largest church in Palu, and has the most extensive service area compared to other churches. The number of small church opened up to the mountain peaks is evidence of the success of this church in carrying out world missions.
 An exploratory study of the evangelistic methods of a church that has proven successful in carrying out the mission of evangelism is very important. It is said so, because through this study one can learn how a church begins evangelistic activities, what methods it has used, what obstacles it has passed until the church has succeeded in preaching the gospel to a community group. Preaching the gospel for the Kaili tribe is something very important to do. In front of us there is still another group that has various similarities with Kaili Da'a people who do not know the gospel. The Kaili Tara people and some Kaili Ledo people also need to hear the gospel message.
 The success of the Salvation Army Church in reaching the Kaili Da'a will be a case study, especially for finding effective evangelistic patterns or methods for other Kaili tribes.
 The first step in this study was carried out by analyzing the Evangelical Church evangelistic model of the Kaili Da'a tribe. The results of the analysis of the model provide answers to the search for relevant methods to preach the gospel among other Kaili tribes who have not yet heard the gospel. Second, implement evangelistic strategies or patterns that are used to serve as models for evangelizing other Kaili tribal groups. It is hoped that someone or an evangelistic organization that will evangelize the Kaili tribe will not get too many difficulties, because there is already a model that can be used as a guide.
 The use of methods in scientific research is very important. Therefore, the writing of this scientific paper will use two methods. The two methods are: first, library research method. The procedure adopted in this case is by reading books or articles relating to evangelism by the Salvation Church, reading books written by experts regarding the topic of evangelistic service, and reading books directly related to the topic of discussion
 Second, field research methods. In this method will use participan obvervation procedures and interviews with people involved in Salvation Army church evangelism activities. In addition, by looking for reliable data regarding the results of evangelism conducted by the alvation Army stionnaires containing questions related to the topic of discussion will be distributed to Salvation Army church leaders and activists directly related to the evangelistic ministry and will be returned to the author for further processing.
 From the field research through the questionnaire it was concluded that the most instrumental aspect in evangelizing the Kaili Da'a tribe was through the visit of officers, then personal evangelism by the officers and also through the testimony of the Salvation Church. It is evident that the service of the officers has a very important role in evangelizing the Kaili tribe.
 That is why the author advised the Salvation Army to improve the quality of officers. Provisioning and training as well as increasing the resources of the officers should be carried out in a consistent and directed activity.
 In general, the authors see that the Salvation Army succeeded in introducing and guiding the Kaili Da'a community to accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Furthermore, the authors advise that these service activities be continued in a directed and consistent manner. In addition, pastoral care of the congregation that has accepted the Lord Jesus needs to be improved so that the congregation's understanding of Jesus grows and the Church becomes a strong believer in facing all the challenges of life.

Children with Autism and Congregations: Leader’s Assessments of Knowledge, Programming, and Potentialities

The purpose of this study was to explore congregational responses to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The limited research around ASD and congregations reveals a lack of engagement with, and integration of, persons with ASD. In the current study, a mixed methods approach focused on congregational leaders’ knowledge, perceptions, and interests regarding ASD and related education and programming. A quantitative element assessed leaders of congregations by means of a survey (N=121), while a qualitative element offered participants an opportunity to comment on the survey (n=51) and participate in an interview (n=12). An analysis of the data suggests that leaders’ knowledge of ASD was higher than anticipated but that formal programming was lacking in smaller churches. Responses in smaller churches were less formal, occurred on a case-by-case basis, and were led by professionals and parents native to those churches. Leaders reported an interest in more education and training regarding .
 
 

한국교회의 상생협력 사례연구를 통한 선교적 통찰 및 제언: 작은교회의 성장을 위한 대형교회의 지원사례를 중심으로

한국교회의 상생협력 사례연구를 통한 선교적 통찰 및 제언: 작은교회의 성장을 위한 대형교회의 지원사례를 중심으로

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ РЕСТАВРАЦИИ МОНАСТЫРСКОГО КОМПЛЕКСА БАРДЗРАКАШ X-XIII ВВ.

In the article, a restoration model of Bardzrakash monastery complex is presented. The original conception is based on the analysis of the building ruins, measurement data, photofixation and descriptions. The chronologically and territorially close monuments in Goshavank, Haghartsin and Haghpat have served as analogues for the reconstruction of the lost elements. The solutions of the eastern and western facades of the small church are suggested, the tholobate and dome shapes are substantiated, the contours of the western and eastern facades of Surp Astvatsatsin church are determined, and a hypothesis regarding the nature of the completion of the main part of the monastery gavit is put forward. The peculiarities of the monastery planning organization are revealed.

El <em>Castelo dos Mouros</em> y la iglesia de São Pedro de Canaferrim en Sintra (Portugal). Un análisis desde la Arqueología de la Arquitectura

El conjunto monumental Patrimonio de la Humanidad del Castelo dos Mouros de Sintra (Portugal) es un complejo arquitectónico formado por dos recintos amurallados, con una gran cisterna en el interior del mayor, y la pequeña iglesia de São Pedro de Canaferrim extramuros. Considerado “obra de moros” en la historiografía, y enmascarado en el siglo XIX bajo una restauración romántica que le dotó de aires de cuento, su análisis desde la Arqueología de la Arquitectura retrasa la construcción originaria del conjunto hasta la segunda mitad del siglo XII, en relación con la conquista cristiana de Lisboa.

The Rural and Small Church of Ireland Primary School: The Use of School Websites to Define School Ethos

ABSTRACTThere are 175 Church of Ireland (Anglican) primary schools in the Republic of Ireland, the majority of these schools are rural and small. This paper explored the websites of the Church of Ireland primary schools which were located in rural areas and had an enrolment of fewer than 100 pupils. The study found that 46% of these schools did not have school websites. Of those schools that had websites, 65% identified as Church of Ireland schools on the home page of their websites, but the remainder did not express this identity. By using content analysis methodologies to analyse school ethos statements published on the school websites it was found that schools were very dependent on a sample ethos document issued in 2003 by the Church of Ireland. This paper highlights key aspects of school ethos, and, while noting that all schools are unique, recommends conversation about ethos so that small and rural schools are equipped and supported in the development of their distinct identity as Church of Ireland primary schools within an ever-changing educational marketplace.

Paul Brainerd, Aldus Corporation, and the Desktop Publishing Revolution

The term, "desktop publishing," is commonly attributed to Paul Brainerd. With the introduction of PageMaker software in 1985, Brainerd, founder and CEO of Aldus Corporation, contributed to a revolution in the design and production of documents. Using a relatively affordable suite of off-the-shelf hardware and software products, people at large and small businesses, schools, churches, and nonprofits as well as graphics professionals could now produce and print newsletters, flyers, and brochures quickly, easily, and at a much lower cost than traditionally produced documents. The first element necessary for desktop publishing was the graphical user interface (GUI) introduced to the general PC market with Apple's Macintosh in 1984. The GUI made it possible to design pictures and document layout on screen in a visual or what-you-see-is-what-you get (WYSIWYG) way.

Use of fibre optic sensors for structural monitoring of temporary emergency reinforcements of the church S. Maria delle Grazie in Accumoli

After natural disaster, damaged buildings need emergency reinforcements to recover to a stable structural condition. Since emergency reinforcements are components whose tension/compression is affected by the evolution of the static equilibrium of the supported structures, they can be instrumented to perform quasi-static structural monitoring. Fibre optic sensors based on the Bragg grating technology are well suited to instrument emergency reinforcement, as they allow easy installation, simple in-series cabling, and reliable long-term discontinuous monitoring with no unpredictable bias drifting in between successive monitoring campaigns. In this paper, we present an application on the early emergency reinforcements of the church Santa Maria delle Grazie in Colleposta, a small renaissance church damaged after the earthquake which interested central Italy in August 2016. As an emergency reinforcement, the church perimeter walls were confined by external wrapping. Sensors acting as strain gauges in temperature compensation regime were prepared custom, ready for installation on wrapping cables and along a vertical section of the wall. Results from monitoring campaigns in a 5-month time-span, seismic settling-down activity still being present, are presented, showing the easy installation and the effectiveness of the proposed procedure to monitor the working condition of the temporary emergency reinforcements.

Organizational readiness for wellness promotion \u2013 a survey of 100 African American church leaders in South Los Angeles

BackgroundChurches are an important asset and a trusted resource in the African American community. We needed a better understanding of their readiness to engage in health promotion before launching a large-scale health promotion effort in partnership with South Los Angeles churches.MethodsIn 2017, we conducted surveys with leaders of 100 churches. Surveys were conducted face-to-face (32%) or by telephone (68%) with senior pastors (one per church) and lasted on average 48 min. We compared small (less than 50 active members), medium (50–99 active members) and large churches (at least 100 active members), and assessed which church characteristics were associated with the implementation of wellness activities.ResultsMedium and large churches conducted significantly more wellness activities than small churches and were more likely to have wellness champions and health policies. Regardless of church size, insufficient budget was the most commonly cited barrier to implement wellness activities (85%). A substantial proportion of churches was not sure how to implement wellness activities (61%) and lacked volunteers (58%). Forty-five percent of the variation in the number of wellness activities in the last 12 months was explained by church characteristics, such as size of congregation, number of paid staff, leadership engagement, having a wellness ministry and barriers.ConclusionsMany churches in South Los Angeles are actively engaged in health promotion activities, despite a general lack of resources. We recommend a comprehensive assessment of church characteristics in intervention studies to enable the use of strategies (e.g., stratification by size) that reduce imbalances that could mask or magnify study outcomes. Our data provide empirical support for the inner settings construct of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research in the context of health promotion in African American churches.

An Ode to Belonging: Southern Black Women’s Politics of Belonging Through Storytelling

The laughs of black women dancing around the room as they stir large pots of food created from moments of nothing. Their bodies meshing into each other, small children melting into their hugs, and a scholar-researcher taking it all in, carrying their words and lives with her everywhere she goes. This is an Ode to Belonging, a love song to knowledges constructed in hair salons, on porches, and in small Southern churches. Their songs, jokes, arguments, and stories demand the attention of everyone around them. This article is an excerpt of a project that explores the politics of belonging employed by Southern black women. This scholar-researcher’s own memories and experiences work alongside the stories shared to create a stage play that highlights the work storytelling does for black women. This project expands on conversations on knowledge production had by black feminist scholars and feminist geographers.

John Wesley’s Soteriological Ecclesiology : Small Group Church Structure as the Foundation of Church Reform

John Wesley’s Soteriological Ecclesiology : Small Group Church Structure as the Foundation of Church Reform

Vallásváltoztatás és szociológia

A tanulmány a családtól örökölt vallás megváltoztatásának társadalmi törvényszerűségeivel foglalkozik. A jelenség jelentése és súlya történelmi időben és térben nagyon különböző, ahogy ezt az egész világból vett példák mutatják. A tanulmány sorra veszi azokat a tudásszociológiailag megragadható motívumokat, melyek a domináns vagy többségi vallások választása mellett szólnak, de azokat a részben hálózatelméleti megfontolásokat is, amelyek a kisebbségi vallások növekedését segítik. A tanulmány előszámlálja azokat a racionalizálható okokat is, amelyek ahhoz vezetnek, hogy a mai Magyarországon a katolikusnak és a reformátusnak bejegyzettek egyaránt 30%-ban választják jelenlegi státuszukként a „nem tartozik felekezethez” jelzőt, az evangélikusoknál ez 37%. Az ellenirányú folyamat is sokkal jelentősebb, mint amit a szekularizációs hipotézis alapján általában gondolhatnánk: a nem bejegyzettek 19%-a valamilyen felekezetet már jelenlegi felekezetként megnevezett. A katolikusok 1%-a, a reformátusoknak viszont 4%-a, az evangélikusoknak pedig 9%-a mozdult el egy másik vallás irányába. A választott vallás részesedése mintegy fordított arányban van az öröklött vallásukat követők körében mutatott erősorrenddel, mert 38%-kal a kisegyházak vezetnek. A célcsoportban 34%-kal vesznek részt a katolikusok és 24%-kal a reformátusok – ez a reformátusok felülreprezentációját jelzi. A mindössze 2%-nyi evangélikus a történelmi nagyokhoz képest alulreprezentált.

Base seismic isolation of a historical masonry church using fiber reinforced elastomeric isolators

This paper investigates the possibility of improving the seismic performance of a small historical masonry church using fiber reinforced elastomeric isolators in bonded (BFREI) and unbonded (UFREI) applications. Detailed three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models are used to characterize the behavior of the two types of FREIs. An Abaqus User Element (UEL) is developed to simulate the 3D behavior of FREIs for large scale seismic analyses of complex isolated structures. The results of cyclic shear analyses show that the proposed UEL model can accurately predict the FREIs behavior obtained through detailed 3D FE models. A series of non-linear dynamic analyses are performed to investigate the seismic response of a small historical masonry church in the original and base-isolated configurations employing both BFREIs and UFREIs. Numerical results show that the fixed-base model of the church experiences severe and widespread damage, while UFREIs are found to be effective in significantly reducing the damage level of the church when subjected to moderate-to-high seismic actions. Moreover, it can be observed that both the isolator types satisfy the maximum lateral displacement requirements reported in the literature.

“Green” Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in the City of Białystok: Context - Idea - Architecture

Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Bialystok was created as part of the project called European Centre for the Arts. It was located in the place of the degraded amphitheatre and became one of the most interesting public building realized in Poland in the beginning of the 21st century. The new building of the Podlasie Opera was being constructed during 2005 - 2012. The general designer of the whole complex was studio of Marek Budzynski Architect. The author of this article has taken the trial of using a kind of parametrical methodology analysing urban composition, architectural concept and sustainable aspects of the new Podlasie Opera House. A context of the location of the new building is very important - the religious hill and the small Orthodox Church of St. Maria Magdalena’s, ancient cemeteries: Orthodox and Jewish, contemporary Central Park - the city centre of Bialystok. The first project contained of the building of the opera, the multiscreen cinema and an underground parking. The project was based on 3 ideas – the idea of Hope and Co-existing, the idea of the axis of the Podlasie Art. And the idea of the Tradition. In the Project of the new Opera we can see many ecological aspects: omnipresent greenery - plants on elevations, poles, roofs, introduced on a few different levels. The New Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic is the example of new tendency in the architecture of 21st century. We can call it New Romanticism or Modernist Romanticism. Other critics situate the style of the new building between the classical postmodernism and the individualistic postmodernism. But for sure we can see here the connection of culture and nature using the architectural art. Also the synthesis of opposites, synthesis of the tradition with the modernity, integration of architecture and the landscape.

FATHERHOOD AS A FACTOR IN FORMING THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN FAMILY UPBRINGING

Abstract. Today, mankind stands on the verge of changing the traditional notions of relations in society: the vector of upbringing for the future generation changes, the main roles of the traditional society are called obsolete archetypes, which are worth to be rid of, the role of the father in the life of the family is leveled off. Very often, consumer design of family relationships displaces father to the role of the financier, collector means of subsistence. Modernity overlooks the father՚s main calling: to be the spiritual core of his family, which is based on supremacy and responsibility. First of all, the fatherhood crisis is a moral crisis and the core of this crisis lie in all manifestations of human activity, both social and personal life. In relation to this crisis, we have to answer two questions: how a father sees and understands himself as a father, and the other, how a father is seen and perceived by his children and his family. Proceeding from this, fatherhood begins with the awareness of one՚s involvement in the formation of a new person, which is just conceived by him. And the first principle of fatherhood is the formation of sacrifice, to give oneself for the sake of another. Formation of fatherhood is based on the love of two, with sacrificial love for the sake of another. Through the sacrificial love of a husband and wife, the unity of two in one spiritual flesh, in a small church, a new person is born, a new life begins; husband and wife form a new quality of relationships – parents and children. Without love, full fatherhood can not take place. Fatherhood is an internal change of a man, a kind of spiritual and physiological type that can not be introduced, but only chosen. This is some spiritual feat which a man takes of his own free will. This is the man՚s responsible deed – to be a father.

Cross and Culture in Anglo-Norman England: Theology, Imagery, Devotion by John Munns

Reviewed by: Cross and Culture in Anglo-Norman England: Theology, Imagery, Devotionby John Munns Rodney Thomson Munns, John, Cross and Culture in Anglo-Norman England: Theology, Imagery, Devotion( Bristol Studies in Medieval Cultures), Woodbridge, The Boydell Press, 2016; hardback; pp. xvii, 333; 61 b/w illustrations, 12 colour plates; R.R.P. £60.00; ISBN 9781783271269. This is a curious book in that it is so hard to see what the author's focus is on. Right at the start he associates the 'affective turn' in devotional practice that began in the late eleventh century with 'the story of the transformation of the image of Christ on the cross from rex triumphansto Christus patiens' (p. 1). And yet he never explains what the association consists of. In fact the book is all about the imagery of the Cross and Crucified as it can be discerned throughout twelfth-century England. The author has chosen to restrict his choice of evidence to England, and (in the main) to images rather than the written word. He may be right to do so, but this choice incurs two methodological difficulties. Firstly, as all know, the Henrician Reformation entailed the almost entire destruction of illuminated liturgical books and artefacts incorporating precious metals and stones. Secondly, as a consequence of this, the evidence that survives, other than the books, does so in small parish churches, not great cathedral and abbey buildings. The author copes with the first problem by interpreting 'English' as widely as possible, drawing into discussion objects from continental churches but in English style. Some of their connections with England are dubious, some inadmissible. The most notable example of the latter is the so-called Cloisters Cross, formerly known as the 'Bury Cross'. The author is right to say that the case for its having been made at and for Bury St Edmunds Abbey was best advanced in the only monograph on it (Elizabeth C. Parker and Charles T. Little, The Cloisters Cross: Its Art and Meaning, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994). But research since has demurred, and current opinion locates its origin within the region where it first reappeared in modern times: central Europe, probably within the territory of the Empire. The second problem merely raises the question of whether objects from small churches mirror those which once adorned the larger, or whether they are quite different; there is no way of knowing. All in all, the author is more comfortable in discussing [End Page 242]scholarship on the individual origins than in fitting them into his large theme. I am unsure what light his discussion of them sheds on the larger issue, but they at least introduce the reader to a fascinating group of sometimes obscurely known artworks and their immediate contexts. Rodney Thomson University of Tasmania Copyright © 2019 Parergon